The Shoulder Check Showcase: NHL Players Making Contact
Authenticity + Platform = Impact
It’s July and the NHL is on my mind because of this group of 25ish NHL players who descended on Stamford, Connecticut last week for the third annual Shoulder Check Showcase charity game. They came from all over the country – Jake Oettinger, Trevor Zegras, Chris Kreider and many other NHL players – to skate for kindness, for checking in, for being there for your friends and teammates.
This charity game was started by Rob Thorsen who tragically lost his son Hayden, a youth hockey player, to suicide at age 16. This motivated Rob and his wife Sarah to launch the HT40 Foundation in Hayden’s honor and its Shoulder Check Showcase event. The hallmark of the event (other than amazing hockey) is the physical act of placing a hand on the shoulder of the person next to you and reciting the Shoulder Check pledge: "Reach Out. Check In. Make Contact." Simple. Yes. Effective? The Thorsens hope so.
What I love about the Shoulder Check Showcase (besides everything) are a few key aspects of the event: its authenticity, as well as its ability to leverage the platform of pro sports to amplify a very important message. Nonprofits can learn a lesson from HT40 Foundation - simplify. Distill your mission message to something that everyone can relate to.
The Power of Authentic Action
Through their unimaginable tragedy, the Thorsens have hit on something. I’m no expert in mental health, but I can totally understand that if we just checked in with folks, had the courage to make contact, maybe we could better support someone who is struggling. A simple act. That’s for everyday people like you and me. But there's something profoundly moving about watching elite athletes step away from the spotlight of their professional careers and volunteer to participate in the Showcase to help shine a light on its message. These aren't team or corporate-mandated appearances. This is time carved out from training, family time, and summer activities to step on to the ice to make a personal statement about kindness, connection and mental well-being.
Let’s face it. Sports struggles with vulnerability. Hockey celebrates toughness, grit, and pushing through pain. But the Shoulder Check Showcase creates space for a different kind of strength – the courage to admit when you're struggling and the wisdom to check in on others who might be too. That’s why this event is so authentic - it gets vulnerable. Everyone in the stadium lays their hand on someone’s shoulder.
In hockey, a shoulder check is about separation – displacing the opponent, pushing them away. But the Shoulder Check pledge flips that concept. Instead of creating space, it closes it. It’s about drawing people together through connection. The simple act of placing a hand on someone's shoulder is a grounding sort of physical contact in a world where we're increasingly isolated.
The pressure of competition at the pinnacle of your sport can be debilitating, and athletes are human. They need help, too. They need a hand on their shoulder after they hear the jeers sometimes. We all do. That’s why this “shoulder check” – the physical act and the promise – is so powerful. If pro athletes can ask for help, so can we.
The Ripple Effect of the Sports Platform
The beauty of leveraging professional sports for causes like this lies in the ripple effect the platform allows. When NHL players participate in the Shoulder Check Showcase, they're modeling behavior. Young hockey players across the country see their heroes participating in something that values emotional well-being alongside physical performance. This matters tremendously in youth sports.
It seems we have forgotten that sports are games, and games are supposed to be fun, especially when you are young. When kids see professional athletes demonstrate that checking in on your teammates is just as important as shoulder checking your opponent, it gives kids playing sports today a new lens with which to view athleticism. Being an outstanding athlete means hard work and dedication. And it includes being mindful of your own and others’ mental well-being. Asking for help shows strength. Seeing when others may need a hand on the shoulder shows wisdom.
Having pro participation gives the Shoulder Check Showcase and the HT40 Foundation a megaphone for their simple message of kindness and connection. This is a great example of leveraging professional athletes authentically to highlight a mission and a message that can change lives for the better.
Food for thought: the positive message HT40 promotes is relatable and inspires athletes to participate. If you have “athlete participation in my cause” on your wish list, is your mission and message in order?
Read the wonderful article by Peter Baugh of The Athletic for the full story of the Thorsen family and the Shoulder Check Showcase, as well as this event recap from the NHL.